Electrical product



Oct. 29,1940. w STEWART 2,219,568

ELECTRICAL PRODUCT Filed Aug. 24, 195 58 lNvE iNTljF-i' retested Oct.29,1940

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' ELECTRICAL monuc'r Walter B. swim-m Angeles, Galif. 'Ap'plicatio nAugust 24, ms; Serial No. 226,528

4 Claims.

This invention relates to-an electrical system I and'devices forlighting all kinds of decorations, signs, Christmas trees and the like.The system includes a large number of branchcircuits'leading from one ormore connector blocks wherein the branch circuits of the system-are allin parallel with respect to one another. By this scheme of lighting, theburning out of one or more'lamps of the system will have no effect uponthe light- I ing furnished by theother lamps in the system. Theelectrical system includes one or more similar connecting blocks and aplurality of single or/and plurality lamp branches extending from thevarious blocks. The blocks are provided with a large plurality of femaleplug-in units adapted to receive the male attachment plugs in which thepins thereof are toed outwardly so that when plugged in the connectorblock, the pins will make good electrical contact with the currentdistributing means within the block.

The entire system is so arranged that it is positively safe to installand operate upon all kinds and types of inflammable display equipmentsuch as Christmas trees, decorating novelties and other 35 beautifyingapparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and versatileelectrical system for lighting all kinds of decorations in a safe andeconomical manner.

' vAnother object is to provide an electrical sy tem using a greatvariety of electrical lamps in electrical parallel arrangement so thatwhen one or more lamps burn out or are darkened for any reason, theremaining lamps will remain lighted.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector block, attachmentplugs and lamp sockets which are constructed to avoid short circuitstherein and to minimize all damage of fire and shock. 1

invention will appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoineddetailed description, the

preamble of these specifications, and the ap 4g pended claims.

Applicant has illustrated and described one o the forms of his inventionin order to teach one how to make, use and vend the same, but it is tobe understood that the drawing and description.

Other objects, advantages and features of my trical system, partsthereof being broken away in order to show internal construction. ,Fig.2 shows an end elevational-view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a transversesectional view taken substantially along the lines 3-4 of Fig. 1, but

- showing a branch linehaving a single :lamp connected therewith.

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the connector block with a part brokenaway.

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of one of the atm tachment plugs, partthereof being broken away. Fig. 6 shows a bottom view of the attachmentplug of Fig. 5. The numeral l represents the casing for the connectorblock having a top wall 2, sidewalls 15 3 and l, and end walls 5 and 6.Integral with the casing is a longitudinal wall I dividing theeasinginto compartments! and 9. The casing may be made of any goodinsulating material such as Bakelite, hard rubber and the like.

The compartments 8 and 8 are provided with bus bars Ill and II which aresecurely held to the casing by having their top edges snugly fitted intogrooves l 2 of the top wall of the casing and their ends embedded ingrooves I! along the end walls of the casing. The grooves are pre-formedin the casing and adapted to have the bus bars cemented therein; the busbars may, however,

be molded in the casing when the same is manufactured. 80 The top wallof the casing is providedwlth a plurality of of perforations l4 arrangedas shown and in a manner that one wall of each perforation is formedby.either'the bus bar 10 or the bar ll so that when the pins of theattachment plug are placed therein, the pins can make contact with theirrespective bus bars. Since it is preferred to make the attachment plugssomewhat smaller than the standard size attachment plug co'mm'only usedfor similar purposes, theperforations H 4 are spaced closer than inusual practice. These perforations for purposes or identification may becalled midget plug-in openings.

'The end walls 6 of the casing are provided with perforations l5 forreceiving a standard size at- 5 tachmentplug. One side wall of eachperforation' consist of a part of either the bus bar ID or bar H so thatthe pins of the attachment plug when placed therein will make goodcontact with their respective bus bars. One endv of the bus bar ID hassoldered thereto an electrical feed wire i1 and an end of the bar II.has soldered =sulated in the usual manner-andpass through holes "and i8respectively in the end wall 5 of 66 the casing. The wires l6 and IIhave insulated coverings 20 and 2| respectively, both of which protect;their respective wires to the usual and well known attachment plug asindicated at 22 in Fig. 4. By this arrangement, the attachment plug 22may be attached to the usual wall receptacle of a building to supplyelectrical current to the bus bars I and II in the usual and well knownmanner, or plugged into the perforations l of another connector blockwhere it is desired to employ a plurality of such blocks.

The miniature attachment plugs to be used for connection with the busbars and to pass through the perforations M of the connector'block, areof the type indicated by thenumeral 23. These plugs have insulatedcopper wires 24 and 25 leading therefrom to supply current to a lamp 26which makes frictional engagement with the socket 21. The attachmentplug 23 is preferably made of resilient material such as elastic rubberand the like, and is provided with the usual current carrying pins 28and 29 which are molded into the rubber at an angle as shown so that thepins will always be urged into the spread apart position clearly shownin Fig. 5. When the pins are placed in the perforations l4, they will beurged into good contact with the bus bars of the connector block becauseof the elastic quality of the plug. The pins 28 and 29 are connected tothe wires 24 and 25 respectively as by soldering and as indicated by thenumerals 30 and 3|.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. In an electrical connector block and the like, said block having top,side and end walls, a partition within the block for dividing it into aplurality of elongated chambers, a bus bar in each chamber, a pluralityof plug-in openings in one of said walls alind in juxtaposed relationwith and between the bus bars, other plug-in openings in one of saidwalls in juxtaposed relation with the bus bars and positioned on theopposite sides of the bus bars tioned openings. 1

2. The elements recited in claim 1 wherein the block is formed ofplastic material, said bus bars having all but one of their edgesembedded in said material. v I

3. In an electrical connector block, a hollow casing having top, sideand end walls to form a compartment, a partition running longitudinal ofthe compartment and forming two chambers, a'bus-bar in each chambermoulded in slots in said top and end walls, a plurality of plug-inopenings through the top wall and so positioned that portions of thebus-bars form wall sections for said openings, including plug-inopenings in the end walls spaced farther apart than the first recitedplug-in openings so as to accommodate a standard size attachment plug,said farther apart openings being alined with the opposite side of thebus-bars than said other openings.

4. An elongated electrical connector having top, side and end walls toform a hollow block, spaced apart bus bars having top and endedges'thereoi' embedded in thetop and end walls of the block,

spaced apart openings to receive pins of attachment plugs of miniaturesize, said openings passing through the top wall of the block andbetween the bus bars, other openings in the end walls oi. the block forreceivingpins of attachment plugs of larger-size, said other openingsbeing spaced farther apart than the spacing of the bus bars, so that thepins of the miniature plugs can make contact-with the opposing faces ofthe bus bars, and the pins of the larger plugs can make contact with theouter faces of the bus bars.

WALTER R. STEWART.

than said first men-

